China interference needs honest debate, say experts

Frank and unrestricted debate about Chinese government interference in Australia is “valuable and necessary”, a group of leading academics say.

Forty one experts have signed an open letter that warned Beijing’s push to interfere in Australia and influence the Chinese community is becoming increasingly bold.

It comes amid the Federal Government’s proposed new laws to deal with interference by foreign powers.

The subject has sparked sharp debate among Australian academics, with a separate group of scholars last month criticising the planned legislation in an open letter.

The 30 academics urged the Turnbull government to delay the laws on the grounds Chinese Australians were being stigmatised.

But holding a debate on the on the Chinese Communist Party’s influence in Australia is “essential to intellectual freedom, democratic rights and national security”, according to the other open letter released last week.

It lists a number of interference activities carried out by Beijing including espionage, attempts to sway elections, intimidation of Chinese Australians and attempts to control Chinese-language media.

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One of the signatories – Adam Ni, a researcher at the Australian National University – told nine.com.au a free and open debate was essential.

“We have to be honest about what society we are.”

“The Chinese government has a very different idea [compared with Australia] of what an ideal society and political system looks like.”

Mr Ni stressed the two groups agreed on the importance of free speech and respecting minorities.

Another academic told nine.com.au the debate over Beijing’s interference can’t be either dismissed or sensationalised – but must be addressed.

Professor Bates Gill, of Macquarie University, said: “In Australia we need to be concerned about Chinese activities. We need to take very seriously the warnings of security and intelligence officials.”

In January, ASIO listed China as an extreme threat on a confidential country-by-country intelligence index.

The spy agency’s deputy director-general counter-espionage and interference, Peter Vickery, told federal parliament the level of espionage and foreign interference in Australia was now worse than at the height of the Cold War.